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Know you Egg Claim

June 5, 2015

What kind of eggs do you normally buy? Cage Free, Organic, Hormone Free, or maybe a combination of all three? Well the fact is that not all claims are created equal. Some egg claims are actually certified by an independent organization. For other claims you would have to trust the hen’s owners and other claims mean nothing.
Let’s take a look.

Certified Claims
• USDA Organic: Hens must be un-caged and have outdoor access (time outside is not specified). The hen is fed an organic, all-vegetarian diet, and also must be free of antibiotics and pesticides.
• Certified Humane: Hens must be un-caged and they might have access to the outdoors.

Uncertified Claims
• Cage Free: Hens live outside of cages, but usually are without access to the outdoors.
• Free Range or Free Roaming: Hens are cage free and have some outdoor access – the amount varies.
• Pastured Raised or Pastured.:The hen spends sometime outside foraging for plants.
• Raised without Antibiotics. Hens were never fed antibiotics. If for some reason the hen requires antibiotics the claim can no longer be used.

Meaningless Claims
• Hormone-Free: It is illegal for egg producers to feed hormones to their hens.
• Natural: There is not defined definition so this can mean anything.

Depending on your personal preference hopefully you know have a better understanding of what is written on the outside of you egg box. Marketing is clearly very influential but now you have the tools to make the decision you want.

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About Me

Hi! I’m Danielle. I am a Registered Dietitian living in Santa Barbara, and working at UCSB for Residential Dining Services. I am passionate about health and wellness, and enjoy spending my time in the kitchen trying new foods, but also creating old family recipes. With this blog I hope to answer any of your nutrition related questions in a straightforward and realistic manner. Essentially I want to help you answer the question: what should I be eating? Feel free to follow and learn new recipes and nutrition tips.